VW announce plans to automate production plants

Volkswagen Group has announced its plans to automate 20 to 30 percent of production at its new Trinity assembly plant under construction in Wolfsburg, Germany. In a press statement Sebastian Schmickartz, the plant’s chief production officer said “Assembly is still 90 percent manual work. This is what we want to change with the new factory. We are looking at 20 to 30 percent automation.” The Trinity plant, where the automaker plans to build its new flagship electric sedan, is due to begin pre-series production in 2025, with the official start of production slated for 2026. The company believes that the key to automating more of its assembly line will be moving to a module-based strategy condensing 50 parts into one through techniques like die casting to produce front-end, back-end and roof modules. This type of casting technique was first popularized by Tesla as an alternative to the more labor-intensive method of assembling multiple stamped metal panels with crumple zones to absorb energy during a crash. It remains to be seen whether the German giant can reap the same rewards with its version of the casting technique.